Connecting device.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. SCHNAUFER AND HARRY G. SMOCK, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO RICHARD A. LEIGH, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

CONNECTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed July 7| 1906- Serial No. 325.128.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE A. SCHNAUFER and IIARRY G. SMOCK, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and Improved Connecting Device, of which the following is a iull, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to electrical connections, and more particularly to a connecting device for telephone, telegraph and electric lighting wires, our purpose being to render it easy to tap on or take off wires leading from the ordinary service lines.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, in which Figure 1 is a perspective showing our invention as applied to a pair of dead ended lines and to a cable containing certain wires tapping on to those lines, and also showing how the connecting device is secured by joints to the line wire; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken upon a plane represented by the line 22 of Fig. 5, but showing the device before the tubes 23 are twisted together, and also before the bracket 24 is secured in position; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the tubes 23 as twisted; Fig. 4 shows the device with the tubes 23 twisted together, the smaller tubes 27, however, remaining as yet untwisted; Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the device as complete and as connecting together wires 17, 28; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the plug 30 shown in the lower, right-hand corner of Fig. 1, the tubes 32, 33 eing twisted together, the wire 44 leading off to the left; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 6, the wire 45 leading off to the right; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of another form of our invention, the hollow nut 35 being used to secure together the clamping plates 35, one of which carries the tubes 37, the latter being twisted together; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the hollow nut 35, clamping plates 35", loose bolt 35 and tube 36, the tube 37 being hidden below the tube 36 and being thus invisible; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary central vertical section through the construction shown in Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a detail showing the clamping plates 35 carrying the tubes 36 and 37, and adapted to be held together by the hollow nut 35; Fig. 12 is similar to Fig. 11, but shows the clamping plates as moved into engagement with each other; and Fig. 13 is an elevation of the hollow nut 35.

A supporting pole is shown at 14, an exchange box at 15 and a cross arm at 16. Short wires appear at 17, 18, being connected with line wires 17, 18' by joints 17", 17, and are dead-ended upon insulators 19, the wires being bent back upon themselves at 20, so as to form loops, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the wire 17 is threaded through one of the tubes 23, bent around so as to form a loop 20, and threaded back through the other tube 23, being then turned slightly outward, if desired, as shown at 21. The tubes 23 are of metal and are secured-together after the manner of the two barrels in a double-barrel shot gun. These tubes are connected with a bracket 22 of metal, and virtually constitute a continuation thereof. A plug 24 is provided with a threaded stem 25, which screws into the bracket 22, as will be understood from Figs. 4 and 5. The tubes 26 are somewhat like the tubes 23, but are smaller and are twisted together as shown at 27 in Fig. 5. Before they are twisted together, a wire 28 is threaded through one of them, bent back upon itself and threaded in a reverse direction through the other substantially as above described with reference to the manner of threading the wires 17 through the tubes 23.

By the arrangement above described, the similar wires 28 are brought into thorough metallic communication with the line wire. If at any time it be desired to disconnect the wire 28, the plug 24 is simply unscrewed. If it be desired to take down the wires 17,

18, they are cut off close to the joints 17", 17 and the wires 17, 18 are stripped off the insulators. These wires are preferably about five feet long and may be used three or four times (see Fig. 1). Where distributing threads 29 are used, as indicated in Fig. 1, the wires may be connected or disconnected in a number of ways by means of plugs 30. These plugs are somewhat similar to the plugs 24 as above described. iach plug 30 is provided with a threaded stem 31, which may be screwed into a thread 29, and is further provided with metallic tubes 32, 33, through which the wire may be threaded and the tubes twisted, substantially as above described and as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. By this means the wire, such as 44 or 45, may be connected with a thread 29 and thercthrough to any desired electrical wiring or mechanism. The tubes, when once twisted, are never untwisted afterward.

In Fig. 8 we show a wire 34, and encircling the same is a hollow nut 35. A pair of clamping plates 35 are fitted together, one oi them being provided with metallic tubes 36, 37. Loosely threaded through these clamping plates is a bolt 35", so arranged that the clamping plates may be separated enough to admit the line wire. The bolt 35 prevents the clamping plates from separating. The hollow nut 35 is provided with a slot 38, through which the wire 34 may be passed in a lateral direction, as will be understood from Figs. 8 and 13. The hollow nut 35 is provided internally with frusto-conical apertures 39, 40, and is threaded internally. Fitting into the hollow nut is a threaded screw 41, provided with irusto-conical portions 42, 43. This screw is made in two parts, as will be understood from Figs. 11 and 12, each part being connected with one of the clamping plates 35. In order to place upon the wire 34 the hollow nut 35 and its accompanying parts, the two clamping plates 35 are first fitted together upon opposite sides of the wire 34, as indicated in Figs. 11 and 12. The hollow nut 35 is next made to encircle the wire, which is passed through the slot 38. The two-part screw, consisting of parts 43, 42, is next screwed into the hollow nut. The clamping plates 35 are thus forced firmly together. Through the tubes 36, 37,21 wire 37 is now threaded as above described, after which the tubes 36, 37 are twisted together, as indicated 'in Fig. 8.

As indicated in Fig. 1, two wires 45 may be crossed relatively to two other wires 48, 49, the latter being twisted in the form of a cable 50 and connected with the lines 17, 18 by means of the brackets 22.

It will be understood that various uses may be made of the connecting devices above described. They may be used upon any sort of wires, and for either temporary or permanent connections. They need no soldering, welding, riveting or casting, and are always ready for use.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by lretters Patent:

In a connecting device, the combination of a plug provided with a threaded stem to be screwed into a support, and tubes of malleable material mounted upon said plug and adapted to be twisted for the purpose of holding :1 wire, the general diredtion or said tubes being out of alinement with the axis of said stem.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. SCl'INAUFEIt. HARRY G. SHOCK.

Witnesses A. S. \Ymscan'rxnn, J. F. Cunmxe. 

